Interwined
by Nyu-sama
Summary: SaiNaru. Sasuke returns defeated and crippled, will Naruto stay with Sai? Or choose Sasuke instead?
1. Part 1

Intertwined by Nyusama

Part 1

Sai stood warily, his head cocked slightly to the side. Naruto saw he was tense, which was surprising for the typically emotionless shinobi. But the way the dark haired boy worried on his lip was sort of endearing, so Naruto gave a wan smile as he approached. They looked at each other for a moment, a careful study. Then Sai broke the silence.

"So, Sasuke's back now."

"Yeah, he is."

"That must be nice. You got your goal."

"Yeah, it is. I am."

"So why are you here, and not with him?"

"He's asleep."

"You didn't stay to make sure he doesn't disappear into thin air?"

"He's not going anywhere on his own. He can't."

"That's true. He's completely blind now, isn't he?"

"Yeah."

"Was it worth it?"

"To him? I…don't know."

"To you."

"Me?"

"Everything you went through to get him back. He's useless as a ninja now."

"That doesn't matter, I…"

"You love him?"

Naruto looked away and shrugged pathetically.

"Admit that you love him."

Naruto shook his head.

"Say you love him, and we'll walk away from each other right now. I won't bother you and you won't bother me, and it'll be over."

"It's just not that simple. He's important to me, but he's changed. Not just the blindness, that doesn't really matter. But what he was…what he was to me…it's not in him anymore."

"So where does that leave us?"

"He needs me."

"Ah, of course. But what do you need? Are you going to spend the rest of your life living for him?"

Naruto began to shake and Sai wasn't sure if it was in anger or sadness. He didn't know if Naruto was going to hit him or cry. He didn't know which one he'd prefer.

Then Naruto did something Sai didn't expect. He kissed him.

"I need you."

It was said so quietly that it simply resembled air floating by.

"But you're going to go back to him, aren't you?"

"Yes."

So Sai hit him and Naruto's surprised. His lip bled as he looked into Sai's angry eyes.

"He needs me. He's so broken…Sai you can't possibly understand…to see him like that…"

Sai glared and Naruto looked away. He gazed at the sky and wished things could be simple. The clouds passed overhead and he thought that Shikamaru had it right all along.

Naruto took a long deep breath and continued.

"Sasuke was the strongest person I knew. Not power, but strength. If you'd known him before…but now he's blind and weak and Itachi's still alive. Sasuke will be lucky if he can even walk after this. He needs me so much!"

"And what about your needs?"

Sai stepped towards him. A gloved hand reached out to stroke Naruto's cheek.

"What about what I need?"

Naruto looked surprised, Sai touched their foreheads together, their hitai clinked softly.

"You woke something up inside of me. Something I don't understand. But it hurts Naruto, it's burning me. Whatever you've done is crippling me. I can't go back to the way I was, and the thought of you with him is killing me. It's even worse now that I know you'd rather be with me. That you need me as much as I need you, and you're still choosing him."

Sai pulled away. Naruto caught his hand.

"What should I do then? Tell me what to do. Should I leave him like that? Friendless and alone, everybody hates him. Even Sakura hates him now."

"She'll get over that."

"And what happens until she does?"

"I don't understand how you can still care. After what he did, even if he saved you. You don't owe him anything."

"It's not a debt, Sai. I could never forgive myself if I didn't help him now, when he needs me more than ever."

"So, this is goodbye then?"

"I don't want it to be…I don't want to choose between you."

"I won't be second to him."

"I know."

"Then I have to go."

Naruto releasedSai's hand, itfellandswung between them limply. When it stopped they still stoodthere, neithermoved.

"You know I love you right?"

Naruto spoke it softly, but to Sai itsounded like an earthquake.

"Say it again."

"I love you."

"More than him?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll stay."

"Stay?

"Stay with you, and help. You'll need help Naruto. You think you can handle this alone, but you can't."

Naruto looked into Sai's eyes, Sai looked into Naruto's and there was a new brightness there.

"Thank you. I owe you."

"It's not a debt, Naruto."

They smiled at each other and began to walk away side by side. Their knuckles brushed against each other and Naruto looped his pinkie around Sai's. They didn't speak as they went; there was nothing else to say.

1/3

2-7-06

AN:

So I've become this live journal snob…but now I'm finally getting my ass in gear and doing revisions and posting stuff up here…go me, I guess…but anyway, reviews would be lovely, please leave me one?

Thanks to Love Travels and my Nee-chan for the beta!


	2. Part 2

Intertwined by Nyusama

Part 2

The three of them lived together peacefully in a two bedroom apartment. Naruto and Sai slept together and Sasuke slept alone. During the day Sasuke would sit in the sunlight that streamed in through the living room window and meditate. There wasn't much else for him to do. They helped him eat and bathe, and made sure to take missions separately so that someone was always with him. He heard them through the wall at night, but he never said anything. In turn they never commented when they saw him crying.

Sometimes Naruto got tired of it though. He wanted Sasuke to argue or smirk, or even just to brood. He wanted some sign of Sasuke as he used to be. But Sasuke just sat in the sun, expression serene. When Naruto began to lose it he and Sai would goon a date of sorts, and he forgot about Sasuke just long enough to have a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku. This restored Naruto to his usual good humour.

After one such outing Naruto returned home alone, as Sai had a short mission that day. But upon arrival Naruto discovered Sasuke was not where he had left him. The frail man sat in his bedroom and Naruto was baffled that he'd managed to get there, Sasuke still couldn't walk. Did he drag him self?

"Sakura came while you were out."

It was explained then. She moved him. Then Naruto realized what Sasuke was doing. With shaky hands he was folding his clothes and placing them in his knapsack, carefully feeling around, a sightless motion.

"I'm going to live with her now. She's a medic-nin; she can take care of me better. She thinks she can restore some of my eyesight and she's going to start physical therapy, so I'll be able to walk again."

"You're leaving?"

"Yes."

"You don't have to. I don't mind taking care of you."

"Don't lie Naruto. It doesn't suit you."

"Will I see you again?"

"If you want. You know where Sakura lives."

"Are you doing this so you can go after Itachi again."

"No. I know I can't defeat him, and I think I'm okay with that. But that first day with Kakashi—I told you I had two goals, remember? This way I'll at least fulfil one of them."

"You're going to marry her?"

"Yes."

Naruto felt something break apart inside his chest.

"Oh…congratulations."

"Naruto, don't say stupid things."

For a second Naruto thought he saw a flash of the old Sasuke. But it was gone too quickly to really know, and Sasuke returned to his packing. Sakura came again and collected Sasuke before Sai got back. She had a soft smile as she carried Sasuke out the door. Naruto watched them go, without saying a word. Sai found him later, still sitting in Sasuke's empty room.

"He went with Sakura. They're getting married."

It was a simple statement but Sai heard the subtle breaking in Naruto's voice.

"She forgave him?"

"Must have."

"She never stopped loving him, did she?"

"No, there's something strangely loveable about that bastard."

Tears trickled down Naruto's face. Sai pretended not to see them and gathered Naruto into his arms.

"He could've done it you know. He could've killed Itachi just like he dreamed. Instead he saved me. And so Itachi ripped him apart."

"I know."

"I'm going to kill him. For Sasuke, I'll find him and kill him."

"I'll go with you."

"Okay."

The sat for a while, embracing. A thick silence surrounded them, warm and comforting.

2/3

2-10-06

AN: Again, thanks to Love Travels and my Nee-chan!

Please feed the author—reviews greatly appreciated! Give me con crit and I'll love you forever!

Oh…and sorry for the SasuSaku, it burnsses us, I know.


	3. Part 3

Intertwined by Nyusama

Part 3

The four stood facing each other at the Konaha gate. Sai smiled as he felt was expected, his goodbye polite and friendly. Naruto's smile was bigger and brighter, but his eyes gave away a grim sort of determination.

He gave Sasuke a tight fast hug, it conveyed no emotion, and Sasuke somehow felt there was something Naruto meant to say but didn't. Sakura got a much gentler hug, with a gentle pat to her bulging belly. She fussed a bit in a motherly way over Naruto, but it was clear he didn't really mind. He appreciated the gesture, despite everything.

After a while, farewells completed, Sai and Naruto shouldered their packs and turned to leave.

Sasuke felt deeply tired as he watched them go, and he knew it wasn't just from adding a bit extra to his morning walk. From the vision he had recovered he could only see the colours and shapes of things, and all he saw was two boys walking away, one bright and one dark. For a moment he saw them as Naruto and himself, going to face Itachi together.

His chest tightened, and for a second he simply couldn't breathe. Then a pink shape entered into his vision, and he heard Sakura's voice as she wiped something wet off his cheek.

"Sasuke? Let's go home. Naruto will be fine, don't worry. Everything's okay."

But it wasn't, she didn't understand the finality of what he'd realized. She didn't understand what he'd lost.

He took her hand anyway, and together they walked away. His back was to Naruto's again, moving farther and farther apart.

3/3

2-21-06

OWARI

AN: A short ending…but that's all I got.

For further reading, see Physical Shame by Jinhito on this site. It's the fic this should have been, and it's AMAZING. Plus no SasuSaku…so GO READ IT, but leave me a review first, please?

Thanks for reading! And thanks to Love Travels and my Nee-chan for the beta!


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